ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the classification of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) glyptic according to types and styles, motifs, antecedents, and heritage. Seals can be classified as (1) stamp seals with eight subtypes, (2) cylinder seals and stamp cylinders with three subtypes each, and (3) compartmented seals, having seven types of handles. Two main styles are identified, the “Murghab” and the “drilled” styles and a possible third one, the “evolved” style. “Drilled-style” seals and compartmented seals come from antecedents on the Iranian plateau and the Namazga culture, while the main motifs are issued from the Kerman culture in Iran that also exhibits the closest parallels in the technique of cutting, features of motifs, and the pantheon. These antecedents were adopted and transferred through many different ways.
